Improvement in fire-proof safes or chests



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UNrrEn STATES Search ttoom PATENT @Erica EBEN N. HORSFORD, OFCAMBRIDGE,WIASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-PROOF SAFES OR CII-IESTS.

[o all whom it may concern,

Beit known that I, EBEN NORTON Hons- FORD, of Cambridge, in the countyot' Middlesex and State ot'Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fire- Proof Safes or Chests, ot' which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which make part ot' this specieation, andin which- Figure l represents a view in perspective ot' a tire-proofsate embracing my improvements, the door being shown as open in order toillustrate the details or" its construction; Fig. 2, avertical sectionthrt ugh the same atthe line w :l: of Fig. l; Fig. 3, asimilar sectionat the line y g of Fig. l; and Fig. 4, a view in perspective ofthe innershell or casin g of the safe detached, showing more especially themanner in which the shells are constructed.

Fire-prooi' sat'es as heretofore constructed have been found byexperience to be defective in many respects. They usually have beenfilled with some material which is a bad conductor of heat, which is putin in a wet state. The sat'e is consequently liable to be burst from thefreezing ofthe water. The moisture, moreover, exhales through the jointsof the safe and injures its contents, besides depriving it of itstire-resistir] g qualities and corroding the casing. Furthermore, whenexposed to a high temperature the steam or vapor expelled from theJfilling forces its Way into the papers or other valuables in the safeIand injures them.

It is one of the objects of my invention to obviate the disadvantagesincident to safes oi' this class, and to provide a safe which shallpreserve its contents under any ordinary circumstances; and to theseends the improvements claimed under this patent consist, first,

in forming cavities or spaces in the filling of a tire-proof safe inorder that when exposed to a freezing-temperature the water may hedriven into these cavities by its expansion, and thus prevent thebursting ot' the sat'e or the straining or opening of its joints orseams; secondly, in the use of a composition of guttapercha andparatline varnish for coating the joints and surfaces ot the easings,which prevents corrosion and renders the joints tight.

In the accompanying drawings, which exemplify one mode of carrying outthe objects ot' my invention, the safe is shown as consisting, mainly,of two shells or casings, A lf. In order to render these casingsperfectly air or water tight., I take a sheet otmetal and bend it intothe torni of a rectangular tube or box open at both ends and with itsedges abutting against each other, as shown in Fig. 4, which representsthe inner shell, A. rlhe seam thus formed is covered with an overlappingplate 0r bar, a, and fastened with a double row of rivets like asteam-boiler. A sheet, b, of metal is cut accurately to tit one end ofthis tube or casing A, and strips c ot' angle-iron are then rivetedaround its outer edge. (See Fig. 2.) rlhe plate is then slipped withinthe end ot' the casing and securely fastened by rivets passing throughthe angle-iron and the edges ofthe casing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.The other end ot' the tube or box at which the door is situated islikewise encompassed by angle-irons d, which are riveted to its outerside in such manner that their edges project within the casing andt'orin a liange, to which the batting-bar c ot' the door may beattached, as shown in Fig. 2.

The outer casing,l3, is constructed in a man ner similar to theinnerone. ln this instance, however, the back plate,f, instead of tittinginside the outer easing, abuts against it, and has its angle-irons griveted to a bandV or hoop, It, which encompasses the back end ofthesate, and the bar b', which overlaps the joint, is ri veted on the innerside of the shell. The saie is to be strengthened externally' by bandsor straps in the most approved manner. The joints and seams in everyinstance are to be made air and water tight and securely fastened in anysuitable and Well-known way. 'lhe front hoop, i, is attached to theouter shell by means of angle irons 7c, instead ot' the knees usuallyemployed for that purpose, tirmly riveted to both hoop and shell. Thebatting-bar e is in like manner firmly riveted to this hoop near itsinner edge, and, as the flange d of the inner easing, A, is likewiseriveted to this batting-bar, the two shells are securely united. A hoop,l, similar to the back hoop, h, encompasses the front end of the safeand protects the joint between the casing B and the hoop The door M ismade ot' a plate ot' metal suitably strengthened by hoops and bars inthe usual manner. rEhe back plate, m, ot' the door is east in one piecewith slots or grooves n in its edges for the insertion ot screws bywhich to secure it to the lpla-te M. A strip, o, of vulcanized-rubberpacking is interposed between the two plates in order to form a tightjoint. The doortmay be hung in any approved way, and an internal doormay be provided if deemed necessary.

In order to prevent corrosion or the escape of moisture, I coatthoroughly all the internal portion ot' the filling-compartments with avarnish composed of one part by weight ot gutta-percha and three partsot' paratline van nish prepared in the following manner Iheat the.varnish in a suitable vessel and while heated introduce little by littlesmall pieces ot'lhe gutta-percha until the whole quantity is dissolvedand thoroughly incorporated With the varnish, stirring the mixture allthe time. This varnish is to be applied while hot with a brush or swabseveral hours before the tlling is poured in.

Before lilling the sate I turn it face or door downward and insert intothe compartments to be occupied by the iilling rods or bars of wood ormetal. These rods are made slightly tapering, and may be wrapped withpaper in order to facilitate their removal at'ter the till ing t ispoured in. l prefer to arrange these rods parallel to the sides ofthesat'e and equi-` distant from each other. This, however, is not a matterof essential iml'iortanee. The rods should be long enough to reach fromthe trout to the back ot the safe, and it is best to have not less thaneight ot' them and arranged as shown in the drawings. They shouldlikeisc be ot'snch dimensions that when with- (rawn from the filling theaggregate capacity or' area ot' thecavities s, formed by them, will notvbe less than one twell'th ot' the entire space embraced in thecompartments occupied by the iilling. The iilling is poured into itscompartments in a plastic or iiuid state, and when it has set77sufficiently the rods are withdrawn, leaving cavities s in thecompartments. The office ot' these cavities is to prevent injury to thesate from exposure to low temperatures, for it' the water contained inthe .a en

safe should t'reeze the freezing would naturally commence on the outersides, and the expansion thus caused would force a portion of the waterinto the cavities, and thus afford room for the necessary expansion, andthus prevent the bursting of the safe or the opening ot'its jointseither internally or externally. After the plaster has set, the outerbaclgf, is put on and securely riveted, as hereinbefore. described. Thecavity of the door M is filled in a manner similar to the othercompartment beforey the plates are screwed together, and a strip, o, ot'vulcanized rubber is interposed to make a tight joint.

The advantages ot my improved safe are such that it is equally welladapted to resist great extremes ot' either heat or cold. When exposedto cold sufficient to freeze the filling, the bursting of the safe isprevented by the water being driven into the cavities, as abovedescribed.

I deem it unnecessary here to describe in detail the mode otlconstructing'tlie safe and preparing the tilling, as such details formno part ol" the subject matter herein claimed, and are moreover fullyshown and described in two other patents issued simultaneously with thisone.

lVhat I claim under this patent as my iuvention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. Forming cavities in the tilling ofa tireproof sate substantially inthe manner described i'or the purposes of providing for the expansion ofthe water to prevent the bursting ot' the sate by treezin g, as setforth.

2. Covering those portions of the safe exposed to contact with thelilling with a mixture of gutta-pereha and parat'tine varnish compoundedin the proportions or thereabouts and substantially in the mannerdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name. y

E. N. HORSFORD. Witnesses:

A. PoLLoK, LAWRENCE A. SUEDEN.

